AIBU to loath needing to research and buy a "new" car

[RandomMess]

As in new to us car, I have comprehensive reasons so surely everyone should I agree I am not being unreasonable to loath the whole process?

1. Nearly new 2nd hand car prices appear to have doubled in the last 11 years (our salaries have not)
2. I don't want a new car but the current one seems to have reached the point of beyond economic repair so it no longer a choice, we've been putting it off for 5/6 years
3. All the major car groups/brands websites seem to have flashing/moving graphics that quite frankly give me a headache as soon as I open them so can't bear to explore them for the information I want
4. The fancy pants websites don't seem to have the information I want on them
5. The basic information I want is not easily found so I ending up resorting to AI to find eg. outer dimensions of the vehicle
6. Far too much choice it's utterly overwhelming
7. Choosing between part hybrid, full hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric, petrol, diesel - just too overwhelming
8. There is no information on "can my 6'4" husband with arthritic knees fit COMFORTABLY in the passenger seat without something digging into said knees
9. I can't go browsing without DH due said knees
10. Most cars don't tick the comfortable for DH box so it's an exhausting waste of time ruling out 95% of cars
11. When I do find a car that I think ticks the boxes I read various reviews and they score badly so no longer have them as an option
12. About 4/5 cars that I have really wanted over the years have been discontinued or they've changed the shape and/or size so I no longer like them or can't buy one only a few years old
13. Most of the dealers have closed near us so it's all a bloody trek to even sit in any.
14. The purchase options, sadly don't have the cash to buy outright so another then to read and digest and make a choice on
15. My absolute go to Car Review website "Honest John" has been shut down and you can no longer even view the historic reviews they did - seriously disheartened by this discovery.

I've probably listed a fair few rants so need to stop.

@BirthdayTrashI well believe you and then they bloody changed the engines and the cruise control 😭 funnily enough I don’t want to get rid of an 11 year old car for a 10 year old one!

I hear you. They’ve ruined really good cars. 😡

My list pre 2020 when they ruined everything decent 😉

Citroen Cactus
Old style civic
C max with sliding doors
old style CRV
Yeti
Chryslar
Suzuki Jeep thing

Then reality set in 😭

Because they are trying to push everything towards electric. My friend just sold her sliding door c max we nearly bought it. She’s got a hybrid now and she likes it because it’s new but she’s scared to damage it now.

Yep they are and it’s one of the reasons we delayed 6 years ago but it’s just this horrid issue that if the car dies buying a new one is so difficult. The practicalities of visiting showrooms alone is a nightmare.

I have a trusty Volvo V40. I'd happily replace it with another but they don't make them any more. I used AI to ask what car is similar in every respect and it was pretty useful.

I have a 6'4" DS though his knees are fine. He drives a Mini. He also got on fine in a Suzuki Swift.
I switched to automatic a few years ago because my arthritis meant I struggled with the gear stick and I would never go back to manual.

I hate, hate, hate the whole process of buying a new car. Sad, desperate salesmen who are patronising and try to sell you finance even if you say you don't want it.
I did all my research online first and narrowed it down to one car to test drive. I liked it but waited to find one the right colour and price.

I used AI to ask what car is similar in every respect and it was pretty useful.

you have seriously low standards.

We nearly bought a Suzuki Swift 🤣

Its DH muscular thighs that add issues and my inability to get gracefully out of low cars 🫣

If you buy a good make a car can last a long time, my VW Golf is over 20 year old and hardly ever needs anything doing apart from mot & service. If you buy cheap brands you buy thrice.

2020 we tried to consider/try to buy a VW the customer service is so bad at our dealership they wouldn’t unlock any for us to sit in! However on our future visits further afield we will try a different dealership.

i know you’ve said up thread you would consider Electric maybe try the ID3 it’s really roomy inside and roughly based on the old golf. Boot space is good too.

Buy a Tesla Y. Loads of room in the front, great visibility, microscopic running costs, huge boot. 10/10

We don’t have a Tesla sized budget.

I think you have competing priorities and the car you’re picturing doesn’t exist at the price you’re willing to pay.

We hate cars too. And hate shopping for them. Limped our Vauxhall zafira along for several years even though we never liked it. Was bewildered when we finally started looking as everything was so expensive. Our main needs were a 7 seater and under £25K and we just squeaked in with a Dacia that’s a couple years old. There’s nothing in the 7 seater market for £15K which is what we would have vastly preferred to pay! So I’m guessing the price is the sticking point for you as well as the larger cars just cost 20K and up.

before we decided on definitely 7 seater we looked at the Qashqai so might be worth trying.

if comfort is the main consideration and it’s that random then you just have to get your husband into as many cars as possible and make a short list to research later. No point looking at anything at all online as you can’t tell. Go to the biggest dealership around you and get him to sit in everything under £30K and go from there.

@RandomMess I feel your pain, we had a Picasso years ago and it was fine for about 60k, v spacious and then things just kept going wrong.

I think you will.have to compromise and am in a similar space without a very tall DH. I have a 2019 CRV and had hoped the next car would be smaller but I do lots of motorway driving, we still drive in Europe, the parents are old and frail and can't manage a low car, so the combination of need and a decent engine is restrictive, notwithstanding range/distance.

Might the compromise be looking at something bigger but older and with low mileage? The other work around might be having the seat rollers altered and lengthened (or having the passenger seat put further back but fixed) - it might be worth £1.5k?

Have you considered pushing the passenger seat as far forward as possible, and sitting your DH in the back?

Do go for an auto; you won't look back.

They have some excellent leasing deals at the moment - starts at £299/mo

Totally agree …i need a new car but just cannot face the whole thing… it’s overwhelming

Massive sympathies. I hated it so much I re-bought the same car I had before. The car I scrapped was 21 years old, the car I bought was 22 years old - exactly the same car, with 100,000 less miles on the clock.

Apparently the closest modern equivalent to my 22 year old car is a Land Rover Defender with less than half the boot space of my old car and costs over £50 fucking Grand

fuck that

@PurpleThistle7this is our approach we go and physically try them first anything else leads to disappointment (bitter experience) I would be so happy with something smaller but not too low.

This should be our final car purchase or possibly something tiny city thing if I carry on driving into my 70s.

If we go electric I feel like you have to go pretty new due to the battery life.

Agreed plan is to go looking at brand new cars with the hope we can put it off for another 12 months minimum, hopefully longer.

Car has only done 117k miles and the electrics issues started about 3 years ago, turbo went 4 years ago, had to get a new battery this year £430 as it’s a stop start one.

I agree with buying the same car again. I drove the same ‘car’ for 20 years, just newer versions.

@RosesAndHellebores having the seat to go further back is an interesting idea the issue being you can’t try it to see if it would solve the issue.

I need the cabin fashion to change so it’s all about knee space for tall, broad males with muscular legs 🤣

I was quite excited about the Aygo Cross thing but it wasn’t great for DH.

@CrikeyMajikeythe last time our current car was produced was May 2019 current car is only 11 years old so it would only be 4 years newer sadly.

The same car again but 7 years old with 50k mileage is the same as why we paid 11 years ago for a 12 month old car with 20k miles 😳😳😳😳😳😳

To be fair, my mechanic always said that Citroens were expensive and tricky to put right when things started to go wrong. At the time, it provided tons of space and lots for the money. They also depreciate v quickly. If you have 117k miles on it, I'd say that you've had your money's worth. At about 55/60k, the old citroen was getting clunky and harder to drive. I replaced with an auto SMax which was fab but obs would be too big now. It soldiered through 110k.

Ì'm delighted with my 2019 CRV, except for the size but like you, have had to compromise because of what I need the beast to do. It's easy to park with assisted parking. The only viable option for me looks like the VW TRoc but DH is only 5'11" and I think I'll carry on for another 3/4 years.

I do like the T-roc and it’s on the list to try. The local dealership is a pain in the arse to get to for servicing and repairs, it’s not even on a bus route.

I quite like the Suzuki ignus, I can’t remember if DH fitted in it but there was zero rear passenger space behind him but the DC are all driving and mostly moved out so that’s not a consideration any more, definitely smaller than my Picasso externally 🤞🤞🤞🤞